Intravenous Histamine and Gastric Pepsin in the Unanesthetized Dog

Abstract

Summary

Output of hydrochloric acid rose to 5.2-6.2 meq/15 minutes after second hour of a 3 hour intravenous infusion of histamine. Pepsin output, on the other hand, fell from output equivalent to 227 × 10⁻² mg crystalline pepsin/15 minutes in the first 30 minutes to 35 × 10⁻² mg crystalline pepsin/15 minutes in the third hour. The high output during the first half-hour supports the “washout” hypothesis of Babkin(1), while the continued presence of pepsin after 3 hours could be the result of a “basal” rate of pepsin discharge or a true histamine-stimulated secretion.